E-mail and AS.

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As reported in the NYT some professor Shirky says: “When you communicate with a group you only know through electronic channels, it’s like having functional Asperger’s Syndrome — you are very logical and rational, but emotionally brittle”. I think this is very true. I often sense that talking here (and elsewhere) only by an electronic medium you miss something very substantial, it's certainly not the same thing as conversation face-to-face, possibly exchanging smiles (or grimaces)and (why not?) touching a little each other. On the other side, that's one of the reasons why people in the spectrum like using e-mail and wouldn't dare to say what thay say in each other's presence.
Perhaps it's useful to read the entire piece on the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/jobs/07pre.html?

Emotionally brittle? How is that meant? I don't think anybody could say anything that would really hurt my feelings, particularly being that none of you really know me. If I'm ever "emotionally brittle", I'm more so in person.

I fully agree, online interaction is a pale shadow of f2f (face to face). In addition, the element of anonymity allows a degree of nastiness that would not be seen in person. Discussing stuff online is nice, as you can find groups of people that share similar interests instead of the handful in your geographic vicinity, but it is a poor substitute for in the flesh interaction.

That's sort of cowardly, isn't it? Anonymity plus nastiness? Would you agree?

Actually it's a recipe for great humor.

Definitely. I highly doubt a lot of these people you see talking smack or taking a run at someone would be doing the same in real life. Everyone is 6'5", 250 pounds with a black belt in jiu-jitsu on the Internet though, or so it seems by the number of claims of martial prowess you see floating about (and most arguments do degenerate into physical threats online).

Or try to be. Especially behind anonymity.